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Friday, September 28, 2012

Actually, there are wild plum trees on the banks of Anna Spring. The pinkish-purple plums are small, but, oh, so delicious. Under the tree are lots of deer droppings - they stand, waiting for the plums to drop to their feet - and three large piles of bear scat - I assume black bear. The bear have already climbed the trees because there are a lot of old dead branches that their weight broke off. I always walk along the trail to the trees calling, "Hey bear . . . hey bear!" There is another wild plum tree on which the plums are golden - but those aren't ripe yet.

I'm not quite ready to give a photo tour of our new house, but here's a photo of Harry, who just had to make himself comfortable on the new chair I bought for my study as soon as I allowed him in through the French doors.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

We received our certificate of occupancy for our newly built house and are beginning to move in some things, so I thought I'd better finish up my three-part poster essay from the London Transport Museum.

War was declared against Nazi Germany on September 4, 1939. Barrage balloons were a common sight over London. A year would pass before London was bombed by the Luftwaffe on September 7, 1940.

1940

1941 Artist: James Fitton

Blackouts made night travel dangerous.

1942 Artist: Lowes Duback Louard

Posters such as this were commissioned to keep up citizen morale as they went about their daily activities during a very dangerous time.

1943 Artist: Robert Sargent Austin

And their courage.

1944 Artist: Eric Kinnington

A series of posters by Eric Kinnington paid tribute to the civilian transport workers of London, who had stuck to their jobs during the height of the blitz.

1944 Artist:Walter Spradbury

Another series paid tribute to historical sites that had been damaged by bombings. The one above is St. Paul's, designed by Christopher Wren.

1945 Artist: Fred Taylor

And then the war in Europe was over. And a series of posters asked patience of commuters as Underground and other transport fortifications were slowly removed.

The London Transport Museum Internet site is a fascinating place to visit.

Sunday, September 2, 2012

In my Internet quest to find illustration art that I can print and frame for my spacious new bath, I wandered upon the London Transport Museum. What a wonderful site! After being overwhelmed with the multitudes of posters, I began to search by year. Here then, are just a sample, from 1910 through 1920.

1911 Thomas Robert Way

This ad for using the tram to access the Twickenham ferry shows a romantic evening on the Thames. The potential customer would have had to stop to view it in that less hurried time.

1912 Charles Sharland

1912 Charles Sharland

Wouldn't you as a Londoner long for a day in the country? So easy by motor-bus.

1913 Tony Sarg

A word on Tony Sarg. He was a German who became an American citizen and was known as America's puppet master. He was behind the helium balloon creatures for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parades and their mechanical window displays. But he was also a book illustrator and artist and lived in Great Britain until 1914.

1914 Fred Taylor

Remember, these ads are directed at Londoners, who seldom saw wide-open spaces, except on holiday.

1914 Tony Sarg

This way for adventure should be the theme. This was one of a series of a variety of destinations Sarg created, illustrated with a costumed figure from an earlier era. It does make Hounslow Heath seem a bit dangerous.

1915 Edward McKinight Kauffer

1915 Emilio Tafani

1915 was a great year for posters. They had been commissioned before The Great War began in 1914.

1915 The Brothers Warbis

A bit of light humor during a trying time for Londoners.

1916 Emilio Tafani

This is one of my favorites and will probably end up on my wall.

1917 Miss Bowden

There was a series of posters suggesting the Underground as an alternative to other forms of transport when getting about in inclement weather.

1918 Fred Taylor

A reminder to Londoners of the way it was.

1919 P. Cunningham

And then the war was finally over and London became once again a place to enjoy, not escape away from (it had been sporadically bombed during the Great War).

1920 Elijah Albert Cox

1920 Elijah Albert Cox

Two of a series of London Characters. London was once again the center of the world. Stay tune for the Deco period of art advertising posters from the London Transport Museum.